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Hermes
God of travelers, thieves and trade. Hermes is the third greatest god, and the only great god not be part of the Trinity Church. The Hermes priests liken the four great gods to a man, Enki is the skeleton, Inanna the flesh and blood, Vahaun is weapon and armor, while Hermes is the head. This analogy is not popular among worshipers of the other great gods, but it is not meant to be accurate, only to demonstrate that Hermes priests are less rigid in their faith than the priests of the other creeds. To them the ability to adapt is crucial - speed, flexibility, communication skills and open-mindedness - are all important traits for Hermes. The Hermes priesthood sees itself as the glue of society, when things are falling apart, and as the grease of society, when things are stuck. All in all, the priests consider themselves indispensable and are quick to point out that Hermes is the god of thieves, not theft. To the priests the fact that Hermes is the patron of both merchants and thieves holds no paradox, though many merchants seem to think so. Hermes does not condone stealing in general, rather he sees the thief's role as a changer of things. The thief is the assurance that nothing can be taken for granted. The thief's actions may be against the law, but even the law is not always just. Many believe that it is the law that creates justice, but this is not necessarily true. In some cases, the law legalizes injustice. Now theft can only rarely be called just, but the danger of it may motivate the rich to provide for the poor. In this sense the thief's role is to blunt the edge of injustice. To the Hermes priesthood, all human endeavors must happen in a way that all can accept, if not like. If this is not the case, then Hermes is also the god that provides youths with the power and courage to change traditions, though this role of Hermes (in the priesthood's interpretation) in recent years has been delegated to His son, Prometheus. In general the priests are known for their fairness and are the most popular mediators. Plutus is also a god of traders, but Plutus is the god for the shrewd merchant that makes a killing, whereas Hermes is more the god of merchant and customer together. A Plutus worshiper does not care if the customers feels cheated, as long as the deal is done. To him the business is a way of making a profit. But a worshiper of Hermes feels proud to have regular customers, he thinks of himself as a provider of demanded goods. The priests of Hermes see themselves as the messengers between men. The Hermes temple is often the first place a traveler goes if he is new in town. The physical manifestation of Hermes is speed, in body as well as in mind. He has temples everywhere, but in the Independent City States he is the greatest god. In Enders the citizens practically consider him the god of their city. Holy day: September 4th in Enders. Symbols: Caduceus-staff, things that are speedy and light - especially birds or winged shoes, traveler's hat (petasos), a simple square pillar sometimes engraved with a face in relief.